Wire conductors in electrical connection fields



Dec. 28, 1965 J. P. LUTZ 3,226,669

WIRE CONDUCTORS IN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION FIELDS Filed Dec. 12, 1962 J1L23 FIG. 28 FIG. 2A

INVENTOR JOSEF PETER Lurz ,4 r raR/vE rs United States Patent ()13,226,669 Patented Dec. 28, 1965 [ice 3,226,669 WIRE CGNDUCTORS INELECTRICAL CGNNECTION FIELDS Josef Peter Lutz, Bromrna, Sweden, assignorto Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson, Stockholm, Sweden, a corporation ofSweden Filed Dec. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 244,130 ,Claims priority,application Sweden, Dec. 23, 1961,

6 Claims. (Cl. 339-498) In many technical fields, particularly in thetelecommunication fields, there is a need for jointing a plurality ofconductors in or adjacent to the set of apparatus to be used, usingterminal block arrangements. In such block arrangements theconcentration of the conductors may be great, for example, in blockscomposed of contact devices formed as rectangular plates having theindividual contact members placed in one plane side by side. Whether theconnection of these conductors is carried out by means of screw,soldered, or plug-and-socket connections, it is advantageous to arrangethe conductors in a clearly observable manner, at least in the immediateproximity of the connections.

The invention has for its purpose to provide a wire guide which,especially in such block terminal arrangements, simplifies said problemof order. This is achieved according to the invention in such a way thatthe wire guides are shaped as suitably rectangular plates havingparallel grooves or ducts for the wires, each of the grooves having afirst end which opens into one of two edge surfaces arranged beside theconnecting points of the contact members, and a second end which opensinto the other edge surface running preferably perpendicularly to thefirst-mentioned edge surface.

The invention will be further described with reference to theaccompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 shows an example of a wire guide plate;

FIG. 2A shows a contact device shaped as a rectangular plate;

FIG. 2B shows a contact element on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 3 illustrates how wire guides and contact plates can be puttogether to form terminal block arrangements; and

FIG. 4 shows an example of a terminal block arrangement ready for use.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the wire guide is shaped as arectangular plate. From the upper edge surface 16 extend five ducts orgrooves which open into the adjacent left vertical edge surface 17. Thesurfaces 16 and 17 form an angle of 90 with each other. The ducts in theexample shown are open on side 18. They can of course be completelycovered and extend inside the plate. The ducts are parallel and straightor slightly bent.

In FIG. 2A there is shown an example of a contact device shaped as arectangular plate of insulating material with ten parallel grooves 21 inwhich ten individual contact members 22, of U-shaped cross section, areinserted. FIG. 2B shows one of said contact members 22 on a largerscale. As appears from said figure, the member 22 has between twoU-shaped portions a plane portion connecting them with each other. Thegrooves 21 of the insulating plate are provided at one end with widenedinlets 21a, and the shanks 22a of the contact members are provided withindentations 24 so that a wire that is inserted from above into thecontact member must bend in one or the other direction, making contactat several points with the contact member, whereby a high qualityelectrical connection is formed. The lower parts 23 of the contactmembers have a form such that the incoming fixed conductors can besecured by means of soldering or swaging. The contact plates used can,of course, be arranged in another way, for example, as is shown in FIG.3.

According to FIG. 3, contact plates 10, 11, 12 each have four contactmembers 101, 102, 103, 104 consisting of parallel wires of conductivematerial molded into the insulating material of the plate. The wires areshown protruding from the plates at the bottom of FIG. 3, where theincoming conductors are connected permanently thereto, and at the top ofthe same figure, where the outgoing conductors can be optionallyconnected. The contact plates 1042 are joined to form terminal blockstogether with an equal number of guide plates 1315 made of insulationmaterial. The guide plates 13 and 14 are joined together with thecontact plates 10, 11, the guide plate 15 being shown displaced and insection so as to illustrate the ducts therein more clearly. The wireguide plates consist of a plastic material and are provided with ribsthat fit corresponding grooves in the contact plates when the sidesurfaces of the plates are placed together. In the wire guide plates area number of ducts 131-434 corresponding to the number of contact membersof the plates. These ducts have an area that corresponds to thedimensions of the outgoing optional conductors of the arrangement. Theguide plates are placed so that one mouth of each of the ducts islocated near a separate contact member and the other month of the ductis located in a plane perpendicular to the plane in which said one mouthlies. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 3, two outgoing 0ptionalconductors 31, 32 are illustrated. One conductor 31 is inserted throughthe duct 132 in the wire guide 13 and is connected to a contact member102 in the plate 10. In the same manner each contact member 101-104 can,in the arrangement shown, be reached by means of one optional conductor.The space necessary for the connection of the conductor to a connectingpoint by means of screwing, soldering, squeezing or the like is notconcealed by the other conductors. Each connected conductor isfurthermore clearly definable as to the connecting point and also in themouth of the duct into which it is passed.

In FIG. 4 another terminal block arrangement is shown, ready for use,which is built up of ten guide plates each having five grooves(according to FIG. 1). To the terminal block arrangement are connectedtwo hundred conductors formed in a cable 41. They are permanentlyconnected to the two hundred contact members. The whole arrangement,except for the outgoing optional conductorsfor example, 43, 44is formedas an integral unit fixed to the cable 41, which unit forms a compositerectangular block. The arrangement is filled below the dotted line witha self-hardening plastic mass 42.

In FIG. 4 two outgoing optional pairs of wires 43, 44 are run throughthe same duct 473 in the wire guide plate 47. They are both bent attheir free ends and stripped so that their four individual conductorsform bare wires 431, 432 and 441, 442, respectively. These conductorsconstitute plugs which fit into corresponding grooves or jacks in theadjacent contact plate, namely, the pair of wires 431, 432 fitted intogrooves 455, 456 in a plate 45 and the pair of wires 441, 442 fittedinto grooves 465, 466 in a plate 46. The connections are formed by usinga bending and stripping pair of pliers after the pairs of conductors 43,44 are passed through a duct 473. The plugs are pushed into theirrespective grooves by longitudinal displacement; that is, by pullingback the pairs of conductors. In the same manner all the one hundredpairs of outgoing conductors can be connected individually with optionalpairs of incoming permanent conductors and remain unmistakablydefinable.

The grooves in the wire guide plates are, in the example shown accordingto FIG. 4, assumed to be so wide that two pairs'of wires can be pushedthrough each of the five grooves in a plate. Consequently, twentyconductors can be run through one wire guide plate. Since the contactplates are each provided with ten individual con-tact members, two suchcontact plates must be provided for each Wire guide plate; that is, onecontact device on each side of a guide plate. Such an arrangement hasbeen found to be advantageous from the view of saved space in manycases, but other arrangements also may be used, such as the arrangementshown in FIG. 3 having at least one guide plate and one contact platecooperating with each other.

I claim:

1. A terminal block assemblage for interconnecting electric conductors,said assemblage comprising a contact plate having inserted therein a.plurality of contact elements electrically insulated from each other andexposed on one side of the plate, and a wire guide plate made ofinsulation material and having in one of its sides a plurality ofparallel grooves extending from one edge of said guide plate to anadjacent edge, said contact plate and said guide plate beingsuperimposed with the side of the contact plate on whichthe contactelements are exposed and the grooved side of the guide plate facing inthe same direction.

2. A terminal block assemblage for interconnecting electric conductors,said assemblage comprising a substantially rectangular contact platehaving in one of its sides a plurality of grooves extendingsubstantially parallel to two opposite sides of said plate, contactelements inserted into said grooves secured therein and electricallyinsulated from each other, and a substantially rectangular wire guideplate made of insulation material and having in one of its sides apluralityof parallel grooves extending from one edge of said plate to anadjacent edge, said plates being superimposed with the groovedsidesthereof facing -in the same direction, said grooves in the guideplate terminating at one end in substantial juxtaposition with thegrooves in the contact plate.

3. An assemblage according to claim 2, wherein one edge of said contactplateextending crosswise tothe'dire'c tion of the grooves therein andone of the edges of said guide plate from which the grooves thereinextend are disposed in substantial registry. g

4. An assemblage accordingto claim 1, wherein a contact plate issuperimposed uponeach side of said guide plate. I

5. A terminal block assemblage forinterconnecting electric conductors,said assemblage comprising a contact plate including a plurality ofcontact elements electrically insulated from each other and protrudingfrom one edge of said plate, and an insulation Wire guide platesuperimposed upon said contact plate. with. one edge in substantialregistry with the edge of the contact plate from which said contactelements protrude, said guide plate including a plurality ofsubstantially parallel wire ducts extending from said one edge thereoftoan adjacent edge.

6. A terminal block assemblage for interconnecting electricalconductors, said assemblage comprising a substantially rectangularcontact plate including a plurality of contact elements electricallyinsulated from each other, said contact elements having exposedportions, and a'substantially rectangular insulation wire guide platesuperimposed upon said contact plate, said guide plate includi'ng aplurality of wire guides extending from one edge of the plate to anadjacent edge.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,019,625 11/1935 OBrien. 2,471,970 5/ 1949 Miloche 179-98 X 2,558,008 6/1951 Smith339-18 X 2,857,583 10/1958 Markley et al 339-198 2,903,502 9/1959 Martinet al. 317-1'12 X 3,156,783 11/ 1964 Alexandersson et a1. 17998 ALBERTKAMPE, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH D. SEERS, Examiner.

1. A TERMINAL BLOCK ASSEMLBLAGE FOR INTERCONNECTING ELECTRICALCONDUCTORS, SAID ASSEMBLABE COMPRISING A CONTACT PLATE HAVING INSERTEDTHEREIN A PLURALITY OF CONTACT ELEMENTS ELECTRICALLY INSULATED FROM EACHOTHER AND EXPOSED ON ONE SIDE OF THE PLATE, AND A WIRE GUIDE PLATE MADEOF INSULATION MATERIAL AND HAVING IN INE OF ITS SIDES A PLURALITY OFPARALLEL GROOVES EXTENDING FROM ONE EDGE OF SAID GUIDE PLATE TO ANADJACENT EDGE, SAID CONTACT PLATE AND SAID GUIDE PLATE BEINGSUPERIMPOSED WITH THE SIDE OF THE CONTACT PLATE ON WHICH THE CONTACTELEMENTS ARE EXPOSED AND